flyfisher

A charity song is in the charts 4 days after release, is raising a shed load of money for said charity and is still selling extremely well.

What is it that you think I'm missing? Perhaps it is all the naysayers who are missing the point. It's a novelty song FFS ( well, a novelty version at least), just like Two Little Boys and Grandad!

Congrats on having your song promoted by the Beeb though . . . Did it make the charts?

Er, possibly . . . . I'm not always entirely sure.

What I do know is that I need to know the first note to play to avoid any confusion and I always make a note of it on my own set list.

I guess I've just blown what little credibility I ever had!

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1413499717' post='2579057']
As for the rest of it, I'm amazed it's not a leak of this year's DebenhaM&S xmas advert. It's just overproduced to a point of utter blandness.
[/quote]

Could that not be the very point of the whole exercise? To tempt the good cause brigade who rarely buy records to spend a few quid on a good cause and get a bit of easy listening into the bargain?

It seems to be working as it entered the top 20 after only 4 days after its release, so the whole project must have some traction and popular support. Last bit of news I saw, it had already raised £2m for Children In Need When so what's the problem?

Anyway, when was the last time you had a song in the charts?

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1413573251' post='2579827']
so what we need is a tiny little memory stick in a bloody great 12" x 12" gatefold sleeve, with insert, job done, maybe if they's made CD's 12" we wouldn't be having this discussion now
[/quote]

Probably not . . . . but since there aren't 12 inch CDs then it's a bit moot isn't it?

I'm not trying to deny that everything is going virtual these days and I fully realise there's a generation growing up that no longer associates music with anything physical at all (or even paying for it a lot of the time) apart from their smartphone to play it on, but I grew up with LPs and fancy artwork and loads of sleeve notes and although I'm a digital convert I do miss that side of things, so this new idea does it for me, that's all. YMMV and all that jazz.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1413561427' post='2579631']
Thank you for buying it Fly! I really hope that having it on vinyl AND getting a pretty snazzy USB with the WAVs, AND having the gorgeous packaging makes the music experience a more immersive ritualistic experience. ECC are refusing to release it on iTunes and Amazon and what have you. This could be a good or bad thing, we'll find out soonish! But it is a philosophical decision from the record company.
[/quote]

Now you mention it, I have to admit that after plugging in the USB stick (and, folks, this is not a standard off-the-shelf USB memory stick chucked in as an afterthought, but a properly customised design piece in its own right - I've not seen anything like it before but it's very cool indeed!), I did sit back and read through the gatefold sleeve plus insert while listening to the music, so yes, a bit more ritualistic than my usual practice of playing a new CD while doing something else.

I really hope he idea catches on!

Yes, I can see that if the band is operating as a well-defined legal entity in its own right then there must be some collective responsibility (though, as individuals, are you employees or directors or shareholders, or a mixture? Presumably these would affect your personal liabilities.

From a "Bandname Ltd" perspective, perhaps if anyone did sue the band and there was no insurance, then the band entity could be bankrupted and forced into liquidation.. Although even this might not absolve the members from any personal liability.

What a minefield!

The last vinyl LP I bought was in the late 80s . . . .er, hang on, nope I bought one this week featuring our very own Xilddx http://eccrecords.co.uk/shop/sheema/

Seriously, if I can be converted then anyone can . . . though I'll admit that the inclusion of a USB stick with all the songs in wav format did help!

But it did remind me what a backward step CDs were in terms of cover art.

I also agree with the dying art of "just sitting and listening", but I suspect that was more to do with vinyl having to be turned over every 20 mins or so, so you couldn't as easily be doing something else at the same time. After all, there's nothing inherent in CDs or even downloads that prevent people just "sitting down and listening" so I guess that constant music on the move, whenever and wherever, must be a preferred choice.

Also, there's now a generation of people growing up with no direct experience of music being related to anything physical at all. Everything is now online and at their fingertips - music, video, 'cover' art, band biogs, etc. Well, as long as they can afford a smartphone.

Gone are the days of rooms full of shelves packed full of LPs and avidly reading the sleeve notes while playing the records. Good or bad? I don't know really, but it's certainly different.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1413547641' post='2579387']
She's a traveller. If she is on holiday over here, whether that's to go to museums or see bands, that is irrelevant. There must have been something weird going on for her to be sent back to Brasil, surely.
[/quote]

That's my take on it as well . . . . in the absence of the full story.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1413541580' post='2579267']
On the subject of migration... over half the world's population would migrate if it could
and IF you accept that the U.S plus Europe were the desired destinations for the chance of a better life.

The current world map can't afford that so on the one hand you have a mass desire to
move and you HAVE to have a mass resistance for that change as well.
70 million in the UK is a very large total in regard to a lifestyle as we know it so sooner or later
someone is going to have to stand up and say it can't go on.

No one is willing to give up their slice of the cake ...or rather re-distrubute that cake.
The last economic crisis has shown that all too well.

[/quote]

Yes, these are the gradually pressures building up, and a rising global population is not going to help, unpleasant though the implications may be - which may be nothing to do with a dislike of foreigners as such, just rooted in a basic desire not to reduce our own standards of living by dilution.

Well, in that case it would be HIS fault wouldn't it?

But it's a good point. At which point does playing in a band expose you to some sort of joint liability? I certainly don't have any contractual agreements with my 'band' and there is no paperwork that defines the formal existence of our band as any sort of legal entity . . . or are such things implied somehow?

When does a 'band' become a separate legal entity rather than a few individual musicians who happen to be playing together?

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1413483886' post='2578803']
+1 for AMPband.

As my band have got more and more weddings and corporate stuff we've had to provide more and more copies of PLI certs. Also it's great peace of mind in case some drunken whopper knocks over one of our speakers onto a nearby Ming Vase or Bugatti Veyron
[/quote]

I can't see how it can be your fault if some 'drunken whopper' knocks over your speakers. But personal responsibility seems to be a thing of the past these days so I guess insurance is increasingly necessary. Not that my band has any. Nor do we PAT test anything. Last of the rock n roll rebels us

What I find interesting is that immigration officials seem to have the ultimate decision to admit someone to the country, even if all their paperwork is completely in order, without needing any supporting evidence for any suspicion they may have about motives.

I guess I'd never really thought about it like that before.

I agree that the last slot is frequently not not the best attended, but in this case it was a charity event, not a musical showcase for bands. Notwithstanding all the arguments about whether to do such an event, if it is decided that you will then fighting over 'the best' slot starts to seem a bit Prima Donna-ish. Chances are that few people go along to small charity events to see a specific band anyway, and the fact that most of them drift off home before the 'headline' slot is all the proof you need that the specific bands are usually incidental to the overall proceedings.

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1413483235' post='2578791']
On the flipside, I'm 23(massive L42 fan incidentally, rather jealous of my younger brother getting to see them in York) and going to Brasil on my own in January to meet up with my girlfriend and hopefully play a gig or two,[b] I very much doubt I'll get similar treatment at customs there[/b].
[/quote]

That might depnd on how the Brazilians react to this story.

In the wake of 9/11, the US started to introduce more stringent checks, including fingerprinting and photographing all visitors, which caused long delays at immigration - always a joy to spend 90 minutes standing in a queue after a long flight!

Anyway, soon after all this was introduced, US-based colleague travelled to Brazil on business and said that in the arrivals hall there was just ONE immigration desk fingerprinting and photographing visitors with a big sign saying 'US Nationals Only'. All other nationalities were being allowed through the multiple other desks in the normal way.

I think this is all you need to know . . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gBEznBdFxM

[quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1413481387' post='2578745']
Brilliant idea. Let's all take sides without knowing all the facts and have a heated debate!
[/quote]

Er, that's what 'off topic' is for isn't it?

Sounds like UKIP have nothing to worry about then . . .

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1411560130' post='2560613']
Bono , stay off my iTunes
[/quote]

Looks like he got the message:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29630291

"a touch of generosity" ??? Do me a favour

Generosity would have been for multi-millionaire tax dodgers to give away the songs for free WITHOUT having already taken a $100m bung from Apple

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1413376169' post='2577641']

My personal observation is the average directors wage at most charities is around £800 a day 7 days a week.
[/quote]

Is that 'most' charities in the country or 'most' of the tiny sample that you have personally observed?

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1413365780' post='2577465']
Yes, the problem is that the audience will probably have gone home by then. And, if the bands are running late, then the ones before us (the true headliners, really) will not be asked to cut their set short - we'll just get told "really sorry, but eh".
[/quote]

At least that would solve the problem of hanging around until very late

Given that you had already committed to provide most of the equipment, why did it really matter if you got the graveyard slot? You'd have to stay until the end to pack everything up anyway wouldn't you?

[quote name='12stringbassist' timestamp='1413308613' post='2577013']
On the other hand, I run a jam night and have a P bass copy for general use. It is quite a good bass and people who use it often tell me so.
[/quote]

Has it been damaged much by all that loaning out?

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1413288858' post='2576719']
So some folks are taking 2 Basses and a toilet to the gig?

[/quote]


. . . . plus a spare toilet of course!

I don't consider myself particularly adventurous when it comes to musical fusions but something about this really grabbed me. More snippets here: http://eccrecords.co.uk/ecc100/. I'm waiting for my copy of the album to arrive

Xilddx has certainly got the knack of getting involved in fun, interesting projects. Excellent stuff!

I look after my gear but I'm not particularly precious about it. I'd have probably lent the guy either of my basses if he seemed decent enough. Unless the guy started to physically smash it against things, what's the worst that could happen? Same with my amp and cabs as well - which I have shared quite a few times.

As for the 'should have carried a spare' sentiment, where does that stop? Spare bass, spare amp, spare cab? Let's face it, if gear is looked after and checked before a gig, how likely is it to actually fail? And on those rare occasions, if we were prepared to help out a fellow player in distress then we could all save a shed load of money, time and effort carting around spare gear that is never needed 99.9% of the time.

So yeah, I'd have lent out my bass - and I'd probably have had a look at his bass to see if I could fix it while he finished his set!